Hey there!

Aug 17 Easy Eggplant Babaganoush

Come on . . . say it out loud . . . babaganoush. Say it again . . . fun word isn't it?!! I never knew what babaganoush was until a few months ago. While sitting in a new restaurant in Harrisburg, 2nd Street Schwarma, I discovered it on the menu. Yup, that's my story. After eating there 2-3 times per week for a few months, I realized that I needed to learn these recipes!
I recently discovered a new vendor, A Plus Produce at Broad Street Farmer's Market. They offer some unusual and new to me, produce varieties including these long, thin Chinese eggplants. The colors on their vegetables is just gorgeous!

Of course I had to pick a record setting hot day in August to create this recipe starting with roasted eggplant. Guess what . . . the microwave roasts vegetables just as well as the oven for recipes like this. To steam/roast vegetables in the microwave simple place in a glass bowl, add some water and cover tightly, reduce power and cook until soft. To roast in the oven, drizzle with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees until soft.

You can leave the eggplant whole or cut it in half to roast. I pull some of the outside skin off the garlic and it's ready to go in the microwave. I've heard that eggplant seeds can be bitter, so I pull out the larger strings of seeds but don't stress over the loose seeds that get into the mix.

A quick whip in the food processor and this is complete! I add a couple tablespoons of sour cream to it for the extra creaminess and tang and it's ready to serve!

This keeps in the fridge for a few days, so it's a handy grab and go lunch. I like to eat it with fresh peppers and tomatoes.

Easy Babaganoush

Recipe Type: Appetizer / Dip

Cuisine: Mediterranian

Author: Lori Fortini / www.peoniesandpears.com

A quick and easy, healthy dip.

Ingredients

1 Medium Eggplant, roasted (or 3 Chinese eggplant)

Juice from One Lime

2 Cloves Garlic, roasted

1 Tbsp Tahini

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Parsley

2 Tbsp Sour Cream

1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

1/4 tsp Cumin

Salt to Taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients, except sour cream in food processor and blend until smooth.